Bitter Sweet
by FriedGoldNotebook
Summary: Cute and fluffy Gibbs/Abby one shot. Abby is delighted to spend an entire day off with Gibbs. Partly inspired by Gibbs eating ice cream on a submarine WAY back in the first season! Yummy! Please read and review :)


Abby reached across the table and took a cube from the untouched bowl of sugar brought for Gibbs' coffee. He took a long sip from his cup and sighed appreciatively as he swallowed the hot, deliciously bitter mouthful. Abby glanced at his throat as he swallowed, watching the muscles in his neck move. She tasted the sugar cube with the tip of her tongue, revelling in the pure, sweet taste. Gibbs' pulse quickened as he saw her tongue emerge from between her lips. His mind instantly leapt to images of her tasting him in the same way. She opened her mouth and placed the sugar on her tongue, sucking on it but keeping hold of it with her fingers. Christ, he was getting hard just looking at her. She slowly removed her finger and thumb, sucking the dissolving sugar from her skin as she did so.

"Mmm." She said, completely unaware of the effect she was having on Gibbs. "That's yummy." Gibbs forced his mind back from it's rapidly evolving fantasies to the present moment.

"Would you like dessert after all?"

"No thanks. I just fancied a little sweet taste, that's all. I'm way too full for a whole dessert, Gibbs."

"Even a little ice cream? We could share it..." He suggested casually. She raised her eyebrows.

"Do _you_ want ice cream?" He laughed and Abby was reminded with a jolt of longing how utterly irresistible she found him when he laughed. Or even just smiled. Gibbs was a handsome man, but there was something about his smile that transformed him from just an attractive guy into a drop dead gorgeous, faint inducing, super hunk in Abby's eyes.

"Only if you do." Gibbs replied. Although she really didn't want a dessert, the idea of sharing an ice cream with Gibbs was far too tempting and she knew him well enough to know that he would not be the one to back down and admit he wanted one. She pretended to relent.

"Well, maybe. Just a little."

"Thought so." He smirked. She accepted his misplaced gloating with grace, secretly enjoying the fact that she was one of very few, if not the only person who could mislead Gibbs and get away with it. It made her feel warm inside to think of the bond they shared, how well they knew each other and how at ease they were in each other's company. She would do anything for him and she would never lie to him about anything other than the way she really felt about him. She simply could not tell him how much she loved him. She couldn't cope with the rejection of knowing he didn't think of her the same way. She couldn't risk spoiling the relationship they did have either. She would have to be content to be his closest friend. It was a joy just to know him, just to be near him, to spend time with him as she was now. They no longer needed the excuse of it being her birthday for him to take her out to dinner. Their evenings out together had naturally increased in frequency as they had grown closer and there was seldom a week went by without them spending time together outside work. Abby adored being with him. Adored him. Whatever it was he suggested, she was overjoyed to accompany him. And though Gibbs usually took her out for a meal, they occasionally went out for the day too. Today, being a rare Saturday off, was one of those days. Gibbs had called her that morning saying he was going to a sailing expo at a nearby marina and if she was free did she fancy coming along. He had not actually expected she would, either be free or want to come to look at boats with him, but in a rash moment of bravery he had called anyway. The idea of spending the day with her was too enticing to not even try to make it a reality. Abby's heart had leapt when she saw who was calling and she accepted his invitation straight away, disregarding the plans she had made to go clothes shopping with some girlfriends. Abby had revealed her secret to her friend, Barbara, some time ago and so she understood when Abby called to explain.

"Wow, a whole day with Gibbs, huh? I know I can never compete with that!" She had laughed.

So they spent a blissful day wandering round the trade stands under the cover of the marquee. They walked around the marina in the sun, examining every sailing boat. It was huge and there were hundreds of boats of all shapes and sizes, types and colours. Gibbs was rarely outwardly enthusiastic but he had eagerly explained to her the merits of various hull shapes and the cuts of different sails. He had shown her different weights of rope and what they could be used for. He bought some items he needed to start fitting out his own boat, enjoying the process of selecting the best possible equipment for his requirements. Abby did not know a lot about sailing but hung on Gibbs' every word, absorbing information with an ease honed by her scientific training. She was genuinely interested in sailing and in any case it was Gibbs' passion so by default it was hers too. Gibbs was delighted by Abby's interest, readily answering her questions and silently vowing that she would be the first person he took out on his boat when it was finally finished. As the evening approached, Gibbs had suggested they finish the day with dinner. Abby had been secretly dreading the day drawing to a close and having to return home to her apartment alone so she accepted happily. Gibbs took her to a sweet little Italian restaurant where they sat outside as the sun began to sink, eating delicious pasta. The air was heavy from the heat of the day and filled with the aromas of garlic and butter from the kitchens and the sweet scents of the jasmine overflowing from containers all around the patio where they were seated. The meal had progressed, their conversation flowing easily, mainly about what they had seen that day. And so they arrived at this moment, playfully arguing over who really wanted dessert and Abby watching Gibbs smile and Gibbs watching Abby eating a sugar cube. They were each equally besotted with the other and both equally unaware of the other's feelings. Gibbs ordered vanilla, honeycomb and strawberry, Abby's favourite ice cream combination, without having to ask her.

"And two spoons." He added to the waitress with a quick crooked smile. She smiled back, clearly finding him charming, and hurried off to fulfil the order.

"When do you think you will finish your boat?" Abby asked when the waitress had gone.

"Oh it's gonna be a while." Gibbs replied ruefully.

"This year?"

"Nah. Next summer if I'm lucky. There's a lot to do."

"And when it's ready?"

"What?" Gibbs looked at her puzzled.

"Well, any plans? You know, to sail off into the sunset?" She kept her tone light but could not mask the tension in her shoulders as she waited for a reply. He waited a moment, appearing to consider the option but in reality his brain was screaming 'only if you're coming too.' Abby unwittingly held her breath as he paused, willing him to reassure her, to say he wasn't going to leave.

"Well there are days when that sounds appealing, Abs. But I don't have any plans to leave." He thought he detected the relieved slump of her previously tensed body posture, but she was most likely just shifting in her seat.

"What about you? What do you think you'll be doing in a year's time?" Abby was startled by the question, mainly because she realised with shock that she had no plan, no ambition other than to be with him, in whatever capacity he would allow. She forced herself to think quickly.

"Er... I think I'd like to get published again. Maybe try for a post graduate degree."

"And move on from NCIS? Into an academic or research career?" Gibbs prompted, fishing for information he hoped he wouldn't get from her.

"Gibbs, I would never leave NCIS. I love it, you know that." She hoped she didn't sound too sentimental and looked quickly at him to gauge his response. With relief she noted his sincerely pleased expression.

"I do now." He said simply. Their moment was broken by the waitress returning with the ice cream.

"Here ya go." She drawled. "One dessert, two spoons." She set the bowl in the middle of the small round table and placed a spoon wrapped in a napkin in front of each of them.

"Thanks." Gibbs said. They unwrapped their spoons and began attacking the ice cream, playfully trying to tap each other's spoons out of the way so they could get more for themselves. Gibbs laughed as Abby neatly side swiped his spoon as it was about to take a scoop of honeycomb.

"That's my favourite!" She giggled, taking the biggest scoop her spoon would carry.

"It is huh?" Gibbs smiled, amused. "mine too." Abby's mind immediately conjured images of her and Gibbs eating honeycomb ice cream in bed, of him licking it, melting, from her warm skin. She shuddered involuntarily with pleasure and had to force her mind back to reality. Gibbs was looking at her thoughtfully, sucking ice cream from his upside down spoon.

"When I do finish my boat, do you think you'd like to come out on her with me?" Abby didn't have time to try and hide her delight before it was written all over her face.

"Yes please!" She said enthusiastically. "I'd love to." Then her face fell. "But I don't know what to do, I'd probably just get in the way."

"I'll show you. You won't be in the way." He reassured her. She smiled again.

"Okay. Great." She replied, her smile returning, her mind already wandering ahead to try and imagine being on Gibbs' boat with him. It was difficult, however, as the boat was not yet built and her experience of yachts was non existent. Gibbs too was silently picturing sailing with Abby, imagining her diving off the anchored boat wearing a tiny bikini or even skinny dipping... Christ he had to stop fantasising about her, it wasn't right. They finished the ice cream in companionable silence, both feeling the contented type of exhaustion that comes from spending an enjoyable day on your feet in the sun. Gibbs paid the bill and they left the restaurant, both secretly with more than a little reluctance. They spent the short drive to Abby's apartment without speaking, lost in their own thoughts and Abby was surprised when they arrived, feeling as though she had barely been in the car for thirty seconds.

"Thanks for today, I really enjoyed it." She said.

"Me too."

She picked up her bag from beside her feet, fighting the all too familiar urge to invite him in.

"Night, Gibbs." He felt the usual unreasonable stab of disappointment that she wasn't inviting him in.

"Night, Abs." He said and leaned across to kiss her cheek, sending a thrill racing to the pit of her stomach. She dragged the door open and exited the car. Gibbs waited until she was safely inside her apartment building before driving off.


End file.
